Match-box.



PATENTED JULY 7, 1908.

K. E. BLOMQUIST.

MATCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1906.

\X/ 576% ZWKIMP UNITED STATES KARL E. BLOMQUIST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MATCH-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July '7, 1908.

Application filed June 25, 1906. Serial No. 323,333.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL E. BLOMQUIST, a subject of the King of Sweden,and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Im rovements in Match-Boxes, of whichthe fol owing is a specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form ofmatch box designed to permit the convenient removal of one match at atime and to interferewith the removal in the ordinary operation of thebox, of a large number of matches, except by removing them individuallyand by separate operations; further, to provide improved means forcausing the matches to readily feed to a suitable position for removaland to prevent the clogging of the same in the box. These objects areaccomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a match box embodying the invention.Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figs. 1 and 2.

The back 1 has an upper extension 2 and a lower extension 3 suitable forfastening the box to a wall. The extension 3 is formed by two cuts orslits in the material of the back 1, and at each side of said extension,the ma terial of said back is bent forward to form the parts 4 whichserve as a bottom for the box, the part 3 being bent back so as toprovide the rear slot 5. This slot is enlarged at its lower end 6. Thefront 7 of the box has the cuts 8 therein forming the separating member9. The box shown is made of sheet metal, so that the separating finger 9has a resilient action. This separating finger is bent inwardlyslightly, as shown in Fig. 2, so that it lies rearward of the resilientmembers 10 which form the front wall at the opening 11 through which thematches are removed.

.The finger 9 is shorter than the parts 10.

This, together with the lower end 6 of the slot 5 provides anenlargement of the o ening 11 at its middle part, through which t fielowest match can be readily grasped by the fingers of the operator forulling the same through said opening. Eaci of the members 10 has aninner rib or ridge 12 which bears against the matches to hold the sameaway from the body of the front 7, and cause the matches to readil feedtoward a suitable position for remova Each of the members 4 at the backand bottom of the box has the inner rib or ridge 13 which serves apurpose similar to that of the ridge 12. The middle part of theseparating finger 9 is out out at 14 to show whether ornot the boxcontains matches, and also to enable the operator to adjust the matchesin case they should not lie 'in the proper horizontal position. Theslits or cuts 8 are enlarged at their upper ends 15 to improve theresilient action of the separator finger 9. The side walls 16 aresecured to the back 1 and the front 7 down to the points 17 and 18 whichare a sufficient distance above the opening 11 to permit of springaction of the lower part of the members 10 and 4. The lid 19 is pivotedat 20 to the back 1. This is intended to permit the box to be readilysupplied with matches.

In operation, the device will be attached to a wall by means of theextensions 2 and 3. The matches will be inserted from the top so as tolie in a horizontal position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. To remove amatch, the operator will grasp the lower one with his thumb andforefinger at the enlargement 6 of the slot 5. The openings 11 are smallenough to prevent the match from dropping out of the box, but the springaction of the members 4 and 10 permits the operator to readily withdrawthe match through said openings. If the operator attempts to withdrawseveral of the matches at the same time, the action of his thumb orfinger against the separator 9 will tend to prevent such withdrawal. Theseparator 9 will in such case bear against the matches immediatelyfollowing the lower match and thus interfere with their removal exceptwhen taken one at a time.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A. match box, comprising a rear wall and a front wall meeting at anangle at their lower edges, said walls being unattached at said edges toprovide an opening for removing a match and being yieldingly urgedtoward each other to retain the lowest match at said opening, each ofsaid walls being cut away at the middle part of its lower edge to forman enlargement of the opening through which the lowest match may begrasped by the fingers of an operator, and the front wall having thereona finger extending into the enlargement of said opening, the middle ofthe lower end of said finger being spaced above the position of thelower match and adapted, through contact with the operators finger, tobe ressed inward so as to grip the second match between it and the rearwall, and thereby prevent the removal of more than one match at a time.

2. A match box, comprising a rear wall and a front Wall meeting at anangle at their lower edges, said walls being unattached at said edges toprovide an opening for removing a match and being yieldingly urgedtoward each other to engage and prevent the lowest 'match from fallingout of said opening, the

front wall being cut away at the middle part of its lower edge to forman enlargement of the opening through which the lowest match may begrasped by the fingers of an operator, and said front wall having a airof slits extending upwardly from its ower edge, the part between saidslits being sprung inwardly fromthe adjacent parts of said front wall,and the middle of the lower end of said parts being spaced above thelower edges of said walls in position to clear the lowest match andadapted, through contact with the operator's fingers, to be pressedinward so as to grip and retain the second match during the removal ofthe lowest match.

3. A match-box comprising a front wall formed of one piece of sheetmetal having its lower edge free and unattached to the sides of the boxand having a pair of spaced slits extending upwardly from its loweredge, and a separator finger formed by the ma terial of said wallbetween said slits, said separator finger having therein a relativelylarge opening spaced above its lower end and having a part below saidopening s aced above the lower edge of the front wal and adapted throughcontact with the operators fingers to press inwardly and grip the secondmatch during the removal of the lowest match.

Signed at Chicago this 20th day of June 1906.

' KARL E. BLOMQUIST.

Witnesses HARRY N. GARDNER, WM. R. RUMMLER.

